Pharim War: Lightgiver Part 13

Jez waited for further explanation, but there was none, so he started gently shaking Lina. After a few seconds, she groaned and opened her eyes. She sat up and gasped as she looked around.

Where are we? Her eyes went wide at the echoing.

Jez started trying to wake Osmund. Were Between.

She pursed her lips. You know, I wasnt sure I believed you when you told me about this place.

Between is not a place, Mirel said.

Lina rolled her eyes. I know that, but theres not exactly a convenient way to refer to it.

It is Between.

Lina sighed and looked at Osmund. Will he be okay?

No, Osmund said without lifting his head off the ground. Hes mad because Jezs plans always seem to end with him on the ground, and hes trying to decide how badly hes going to hurt Jez.

h.e.l.l be fine, Jez said. Hes referring to himself in the third person, and thats not a sign of mental stability, but thats nothing new.

Osmund lifted his head and glared at Jez. You know youre not funny, right? He picked himself up and looked around. Well, this is familiar.

You have been here? Mirel asked.

Osmund nodded. Sariel brought us here almost two years ago.

The lord of the Shadowguards?

Osmund grinned. Yes, have you met him?

Lina narrowed her eyes. Youre not funny either.

Youre just bitter because youve only met one high lord of the pharim, and Ive met two.

Two? Mirel asked, her eyes wide.

We met Aniel six months ago, Jez said.

All of you?

Jez nodded, and Mirel looked from Jez to Osmund to Lina. Osmund looked smug.

You are all more than you seem.

So what do we do now? Jez asked as he took in the surrounding whiteness.

We go to the library.

Mirel started walking. Though she didnt leave the cage, she still seemed to move away from them. It seemed like her footsteps should echo, but she walked in perfect silence. Jez stared after her for several seconds before the apparent distortion of s.p.a.ce gave him a headache. He looked to his friends and shrugged before following. Almost instantly, he was next to Mirel, though the cage seemed completely stationary. Jez gaped at it as he walked, and Mirel chuckled.

Between is shaped by will. It doesnt conform to the laws of the mortal realm.

Im beginning to understand that, Jez said. How do you know where the library is? Mirel narrowed her eyes, and Jez sighed. I know theres no where here. You know what I mean. How do you know were going the right way?

Because we cant go the wrong way.

What do you mean?

We wish to go to the library so we walk. Between shapes itself to our will.

Why cant we go directly there?

Because Gayel wished it hidden.

And that wont stop us?

He cannot hide a thing that is of mortals from mortals.

But Im not really a mortal.

You are mortal enough for this. She waved a hand at Osmund and Lina. The presence of your friends will help as well.

Jez pursed his lips. So youre saying if we hadnt followed you, you wouldnt have been able to find it.

She gave him a half smile. I was fairly certain youd come after me.

How long until we get there? Osmund said.

Mirel didnt say anything for a while. Then, one of her steps had the grating sound of boots on stone. Jez knelt and tried to put a hand on the floor, but there was nothing to touch, and his arm went down farther than where the floor shouldve been.

Were not there yet, Mirel said, but were close.

I dont understand.

Without a will to shape Between, theres nothing here, not even the ground.

Then what are we walking on?

She grinned. Were not really walking.

Another of her steps made a sound. After a few seconds, every step sounded on stone, and Mirel pointed.

There.

As if in response to her word, the fog parted. A domed tower rose in the distance. Its roof s.h.i.+mmered with the s.h.i.+ne of polished gold. A single fire burned in a window, though at that distance, it barely looked like a spark.

Whos there? Jez asked. Did Gayel leave a Lightgiver to guard the place?

No. The Library of Zandra was the premier center of learning in the world. By tradition, the brazier in the tower is always kept lit to represent the light of knowledge s.h.i.+ning in the darkness.

What does it burn?

It burns because its supposed to burn. It was an idea, and here ideas have a life of their own. Theres magic in it too, or so Ive been told.

You dont know?

Even we dont know everything.

What is that? Osmund asked.

Jez looked to where he was pointing. The fog swirled, casting odd shadows on the buildings. Jez almost asked what he was talking about when he realized that Between had an ambient glow rather than a true source of light. There should be no shadows here. As if sensing his realization, the creatures flew toward them.

Prepare yourself, Mirel said as she drew her s.h.i.+ning sword. In their home realm, the shadows arent limited by the bounds of reality. Here, they are stronger than ever.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE.

Half a dozen shadows glided toward them so quickly they left dark streaks in the air. Jezs fingers dance, trying to form the binding that would trap them, but his magic had nothing to latch on to, and the ward failed.

I cant call fire, Osmund said.

Me neither, Lina said.

Jez reached within himself, drawing on Luntayarys power. The crystal sword appeared in his hands. Osmund nodded, and with a burst of flame, Ziary appeared in his place.

Lina, stay behind us.

You wont hear me arguing.

The first shadow screamed as Jezs blade sliced through it, but this was no mental scream. He heard it, and for a second, he thought his ears would bleed. The shadow disappeared in a puff of black mist. One of the shadows entered through Jezs nose, but as it plowed through his memories, Luntayarys consciousness came forth and drove it away. No sooner had it left him than Mirels blade cleaved it in two.

Jezs sword flashed through the air. He didnt know how many shadows he cut down, though it had to have been more than the original six hed seen coming toward them. They fought a long time, far longer than he had even when facing an army in Rumar. He shouldve been tired, but somehow he knew that here he could fight until the Academy itself was only a memory and the mountain it stood upon had been worn away to dust.

He cut one down and twisted to meet the next attack, but there was none. Aside from the library and his companions, all he saw was the endless whiteness of Between. He held his sword up for several seconds before letting it vanish. Ziary had gone to one knee and clutched his head. His sword was nowhere to be seen. He looked up as Mirel touched his shoulder. Ziarys eyes looked far away. He was breathing heavily. Then, between one breath and another, Osmund reappeared.

Sorry. It got into Ziarys memories.

But Ziarys not any older than you are.

We left pieces of ourselves behind when we had children, Mirel said. If your friend is a convergence of several different lines of limaph, then he has innumerable pieces of the pharim in him. Each may be only a small portion, but even the tiniest fraction of a being that has existed since the beginning of time can hold centuries of memories.

And my pharim ancestors have mostly been Shadeslayers. Their memories arent exactly the most pleasant.

Lina, how are you doing? Jez asked as Mirel touched her shoulder.

She struggled to pick herself off the ground, and Osmund moved to help her up. She was shaking, and it looked like she would refuse to touch him, but she forced herself to be still and took his arm. As soon as she stood, however, she scampered away, and her hand went to her scar. She shook her head.

I saw... She rubbed her cheek. This. Im sorry, Osmund. I dont blame you anymore. She let out a heavy breath. Its just it was the worst thing Ive ever experienced, and I thought I had gotten over it.

Try to let it pa.s.s, Mirel said. Thats what these shadows do. They bring up things long forgotten. If you let them, they will destroy you.

Lina nodded and brought her hand down. Jez stared at her for a while. Her normally alabaster skin looked pasty white, and he suspected she wouldnt survive another attack like that. He turned to the library, his gaze locking onto the fire. A faint whispering echoed in his mind, but he did his best to ignore it.

Come on. We need to hurry.

There was a round of nods, and they started moving quickly. Every step now sounded like leather on stone. The fog gradually thinned, and Jez realized there was more than just the library. Buildings of yellow stone materialized and streets appeared out of the mist. The sun shone in a cloudless sky, and the cage around them took on the smoky appearance it had had in the mortal realm.

This isnt real, Jez said.

Real is a matter of perspective here, Mirel said, but if youre asking if Gayel brought the entire city here, the answer is no.

Jez waved his hand. There was no sign of the fog anymore. Then how?

The library was from a real place, and it brought the reflection of that place here. If you look in any of the buildings, youll find them empty. In some, you wont find anything more than the fogs of Between.

This was Zandra before the fire? Osmunds voice was almost reverent.

Yes.

There were times I wouldve given my right hand to be able to come here. He eyed the library. Jez smiled. Given how frighteningly effective Osmund was in combat, Jez often forgot his friend had spent years in study trying to learn about his own heritage. I wonder what knowledge about the limaph is in that place.

More than you can imagine, Mirel said.

The library grew larger as they approached, and the emptiness of the city began to unnerve Jez. The shadows seemed too dark, and he held himself on the edge of summoning his sword. Without saying anything, they spread out with Mirel in front of Lina and Jez and Osmund behind. She looked over her shoulder at him but didnt say anything.

Finally, they reached a set of double doors made of red wood inlaid with gold. They went up at least fifty feet and looked solid enough to hold back an army. Jez placed a hand on them and pushed. They were lighter than he expected, and they swung open at his touch. When he withdrew his hands, there were black smudges on his fingers. He raised an eyebrow at Mirel.

The door was burned in the fire. You touched the piece of them that remains, though your eyes saw the reflection this place created. Shall we go?

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO.

The receiving room mightve belonged in a palace. Marble walls rose up around them, and a circular desk sat in the middle of the chamber. There were no books, but wide stairs behind the desk went up four levels. Gold inlays ran through everything from the handrails of the stairs to the marble columns holding up the ceiling. The chamber was only about a hundred feet wide, but doors lined the wall opposite the entryway, presumably leading to the main library. Jez and the others moved to the center of the chamber. Mirel stepped out in front of them and paused.

Now what do we do?